Automatic slacker for seamless tube mills



Dec. 1924- I L. H. WEITZ. JR

AUTOMATIC SLACKER F'OR SEAMLESS TUBE MILLS 2 Sheets-She t 1 Filed July 9 1925 L. H. WEZITZ, JR

AUTOMATIC SLACKER FOR SEAMLESS TUBE MILLS Filed July 9, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented es. 2, 1924.

LEWIS H. WEITZ, 33., 0E BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SLACKER FOR SEAMLESS TUBE MILLS.

Application filed July 9, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS H. Wnrrz, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Slackers for Seamless lube Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic slackers for seamless tube mills and more particularly to an improved automatic device to be used in connection with the machinery employed for the construction of seamless steel tubes. v

During the process of constructing seamless steel tubes a point is reached where the tubes are distributed to a reeler which performs the finishing process. This finishing process is required to be carefully done, and therefore, just before the tubes go into the reeler, a workman throws coal dust or slack in the ends of the tubes which carbonizes the inside of the tube and keeps it from sticking while going through the reeler. As this is a rather injurious oper ation as far as the workman is concerned, and as his duties require him to perform other work besides this slacking of the tubes, the present device is intended to automatically supply the coaldust or slack to the end of the tube, thus allowing the workman to attend to other duties around the mill.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will keep the coal dust fumes away from where the men will have to breathe them, and will also place the slack just where it is wanted in the tubes, as with the manual method the slack is often thrown at, rather than in, the end of the tube.

Other objects of the invention will appear upon consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detailed section showing the method of supplying the slack to the end of the tube, and

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the tube section 1 is fed through the guide Serial No. $50,444:.

sleeves 2 and 3 which have their open ends spaced apart as shown. In the spacebetween the guide sleeves 2 and 3 a carrier roller 4 is mounted on a shaft 5 to carry the tube 1 as it passes from the guide sleeve 2 to the guide sleeve 3. At one side of the carrier roller 4: is erected a platform 6 above which is arranged a hopper T containing the coal dust or slack which is distributed from the hopper through a flexible tube 8 which is connected to a discharge nozzle 9. The discharge nozzle 9 is attached to an arm 10 pivotally mounted on the plat-- form 6 and so located as to permit the nozzle 9 to swing in the path of movement of the tube 1 as it passes over the carrier roller 4. Also mounted upon the platform'6 is an operating arm 11 having one end adapted to swing in the path of movement of the tube 1 and having its opposite end attached to a flexible cable 12 which passes over a guide pulley 13 mounted on the platform 6. A coil spring 14 is attached to one end of the nozzle arm 10 and the opposite end of the coil spring is secured to the end of the cable 12. The nozzle 9 is also provided with a small roller 15 at its free end which is adapted to slide over the tube 1 when the nozzle is moved out of operative position.

In operation, the tubes 1 move rapidly through the guide sleeves 2 and 3 and, as shown in Figure 2, when one end of the tube 1 engages the operating arm 11 the arm will be swung to the position shown by dotted lines, thus impartinga quick or sudden pull on the cable 12 and swinging the nozzle arm 10 on its pivot to bring the nozzle into the position shown by dotted lines so that the opening in the nozzle will be in alignment with the open end of the tube 1, the sudden engagement or impact of the nozzle against the tube causing a discharge of the coal dust or slack into the open end of the tube. As the tube progresses through the guide sleeve and over the carrier roller l, the nozzle 9 will be thrust to one side, thereby exerting another pull on the cable 1:2 and causing the operating arm 11 to move back to the position shown by full lines so that it will engage the end of the next tube to be ready for the next operation.

Obviously, in this manner, the coal dust or slack will be automatically supplied to the ends of the tubes as they pass through the machine, thereby obviating the necessity of providing an attendant and also assuring the application of the coal dust or slack at the proper place.

Minor changes may be made in the detail ht construction Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tube making machine, means to guide the tubes through the machine, a hopper containing slack to be supplied to the end. or" each tube, a nozzle adapted to move in the path of movement of the tube, and means to move'the nozzle into and out of the path of movement of the said tube.

2. In a device of the character descriiiied, the combination with a tube making machine having guide sleeves longitudinally spaced apart, a hopper, a flexible tube attached to the hopper, anozzle, a carrier arm attached to the nozzle and pivotally mounted whereby the nozzle may swing in the path of movement of the tube through the said guide sleeves, an operating arm having one end engageable with the tube as it passes from one of the guide sleeves, and a cable attached to the said operating arm and to the said nozzle arm, whereby move ment of the operating arm will impart movement to the said nozzle.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tube making machine including guide sleeves and a carrier roller, a hopper mounted above the roller and provided with a flexible tube, a nozzle connected to the tube, a nozzle arm pivotally mounted and adapted to swing in the space above the said carrier roller whereby the nozzle will be moved into a position in alignment with the end of the tube passing through the guide sleeve, and operating means engageable with the tube and at tached to the said nozzle arm whereby movement of the tube will impart movement to the said operating arm to actuate the said nozzle.-

.4. In a device or the character descril'ied, the combination with a tube making machine, including guide sleeves, a carrier roller, a hopper mounted above the roller and provided with a flexible tube, a platform, a nozzle arm pivotally mounted on the platform, a nozzle carried by the nozzle arm and attached to the said flexible tube, said nozzle being movable in the-path or" movement of the said tube between the said guide sleeves, an operating arm pivotally mounted on the platform and engageable with the tube passing from one of the said guide sleeves, a flexible cable, a pulley mounted on theplattorm and receivingthe sa d. cable, one end of the cable being also resiliently attached to one end ot' the nozzle arm, whereby movement of the said operating arm will impart movement to the said nozzle.

5. The combination with a tube making machine, of means for guiding the tubes, and means for automatically supplying a quantity of slack into the ends of the tubes as they pass through said guides.

65. The combination with a tube making machine, of guide members for said tubes, a nozzle adapted to be automatically moved in the path of the tubes for supplying a quantity of slack into the ends 01' the tubes as they pass through said guides.

T. The combination with a tube making machine, of means for guiding the tubes, a nozzle adapted to automatically engage one end of the tubes as they pass through said guides, the sudden impact of the nozzle against the tubes causing a quantity of slack to be ejected from the nozzle into the tubes.

In testimony whereof, I have ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS H. WEITZ, J R.

iVitnesses JV. W. DENHART, G. A. SoHELL. 

